HOME-MADE BREW

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 August 1938, Page 7

HOME-MADE BREW

MAN AND WIFE CONVICTED. By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “This man was found to be brewing in an extensive way, and. in fact, it compared favourably with some of the little breweries in this country,” said Sub-Inspector D. A. McLean, in the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, yesterday, when Hector Clark, wharf labourer, Aro Street, Wellington, was charged with keeping liquor in a nolicence area. Clarke’s wife, Florence Clark, was charged with selling beer in a no-licence area. Mr W. C. Carroll was on the bench. ' Both defendants pleaded "guilty. Hector Clark was fined £l5 and Mrs Clark was convicted and ordered to pay costs. Clark was allowed one month in which to pay the fine. The sub-inspector said that two years ago Clark came under the notice of the police regarding offences of making home-brew, and of recent months, as a result of complaints, the police took steps to check on what was taking place at Clark’s home. The police had no fl difficulty in obtaining a sale from the female defendant, who was the wife of the male defendant. Subsequently a -warrant was obtained and the place searched. The male defendant at this time was ill in bed. No obstruction was put in the way of the police. Clark said lie was making home-brewed beer and stout for his own consumption. When the search was made bottles were found, and a bad feature of the case was that most of the bottles still, had labels on corresponding with recognised brands of beer. The police took possession of 366 quart bottles of home-brew beer, 467 pint bottles of home-brew, one quart bottle of home-brew stout, 24 pint bottles of stout, and 34 half-pint nips. A Government analysis showed that the beer .. was equal in strength to 7.3. That was about the same strength as some of the best beer manufactured in New Zealand, or perhaps a little stronger.